February 17th marks the beginning of 2026’s Lunar New Year! Also called the Spring Festival, this marks the beginning of a new year in the lunisolar calendar.
This timekeeping system is often used to track things like agricultural and religious events.
The tradition of Lunar New Year has been dated back near 3,500 years in Chinese history.
According to CNN and Wake Forest University, there are multiple traditions associated with Chinese celebrations of this holiday, including:
- Red is a prominent color during this celebration. Wearing red clothing is thought to bring prosperity and good fortune for the coming year.
- Following the red theme, red envelopes filled with money, known as ‘hongbao,’ are given to young people to bring wealth and good luck.
- Fireworks are often set off to ward away evil spirits right after midnight on New Year’s Eve.
- People often deep clean a bit before the start of the new year. This represents the removal of the old and welcomes the new.
Each year is also brought with an animal, as 2026 is known as the year of the fire horse. It is thought to represent new opportunities and fast changes.
In other Asian countries, Lunar New Year is celebrated differently.
In Korea, it is considered respectful to bow deeply to older members of their family, known as sebae. They have a tradition similar to hongbao, except the envelopes used in Korea are white.
In Vietnam, the celebration is known as Tết, and is usually cause for family reunions and múa lân, or lion dancing.
Lunar New Year is an important and historical celebration in many parts of the world, yielding interesting tradition and meanings of good fortune.
